GRINNELL’S NODZENSKI, SURYN AND GOLDFIEN NAMED TO RAWLINGS/ABCA ALL-CENTRAL REGION BASEBALL TEAM

GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College’s Mike Nodzenski ’12 (left), Greg Suryn ’11 (center) and Michael Goldfien ’12 (right) have been named to the Rawlings/ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) All-Central Region Team.

Nodzenski was a first-team selection after being a second-teamer last year, while Suryn and Goldfien are making their first appearances on the squad. Both are second-team selections.

The three selections are the most in school history.

Nodzenski, a catcher from Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North), was recently named the Midwest Conference South Division Player of the Year for the third time in a row and currently ranks among the national leaders in several categories. He is fourth in slugging percentage (.850), fifth in batting average (.465) and on-base percentage (.556) and sixth in home runs (12). He leads the MWC in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, RBI (47) and total bases (91) and is second in on-base percentage and runs scored (38). He has Grinnell school records for RBI and home runs in a career, as well as RBI in a game (nine), home runs in a game (three) and home runs in a season.

Suryn, from Littleton, Colo. (Front Range Christian), made the All-Region team at a designated hitter spot. He led the MWC in both doubles with 18 and triples with nine. His mark for triples ranks ninth nationally. Additionally, he is second in the league in slugging percentage (.700) and total bases (91), fifth in runs scored (36) and sixth in batting average (.385). He has the Grinnell record for triples in a season and career.

Goldfien, a shortstop from Mill Valley, Calif. (Tamiscal), had another stellar season where he ranked third in the MWC in both runs scored (38) and fielding assists (99). He was also fifth in the league in batting average (.386) and on-base percentage (.497). Goldfien was the Pioneers’ second-leading hitter after Nodzenski.